SEABROOK – In the race for Prince George’s County District 2 councilmember, Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth is challenging incumbent Deni Taveras. Both candidates have filed as Democrats, so the June primary will likely determine the November victor of the position.

Hollingsworth has served as Hyattsville mayor since 2015, and she was elected to the city council in 2011 to represent Ward 1.

She views running for county council as an “extension” of why she “got into public service to begin with.”

“I’ve realized that there is a lot you can do as mayor, but then…there are many things that are beyond the scope of what a mayor is responsible for in a municipality,” Hollingsworth said. “A lot of the things that address the issues that are really important to that long-term livability of a community are things that are the responsibility of the county council.

“Things about affordable housing, development and land use and how communities are built over time, those are the type of decisions I want to be involved in for our community. Quite frankly, I didn’t feel we had anyone who was really focused on those things and actually making progress on them in a way that we need at this moment.”

She said she is interested in addressing the “long-term livability” issues in her district.

Hollingsworth’s said she determines whether to seek public office and which office to run for based on “an analysis of how effective I am (and) how can I be more effective.”

If elected, Hollingsworth’s priorities will include education and economic development. Regarding economic development, she said she is interested in ensuring that, as the county grows, it remains livable and accessible for current residents. Her concerns include affordable housing near new developments.

Hollingsworth is concerned about how economic development can help residents gain access to housing, transportation, and jobs.

She is also interested in growing the Gateway Arts District, which is an area along Route One through Hyattsville, North Brentwood, Brentwood and Mount Rainier with a mixed-use environment to residents to engage in the arts and entertainment.

“The Gateway Arts District is a great asset for the county and the state of Maryland, but I don’t believe that we’ve invested in it in a way that is commensurate with the contributions it makes for our local economy,” Hollingsworth said. “So, I want to make sure that we have organization, entities, and artists that are a part of the growth of our community.”

Hollingsworth said what distinguishes her the most from her opponent in the race is her effectiveness.

“I believe that I am more effective,” Hollingsworth said. “I have a track record for understanding the nuances of policy and being able to draft policy and promote programs that actually move the needle.

“When you’re in a role like the county council role, that you’re able to put in place policies that actually address the challenges that communities face, and that’s the part that I think is lacking.”

Taveras has represented District 2 on the county council since December 2014. She has also previously served as the chief of staff for State Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-47).

“I feel I’ve done a good job,” Taveras said.

In 2017, the Prince George’s County Municipal Association named Taveras Legislator of the Year.

Taveras said should she be reelected, her priorities will include school construction and ensuring the Purple Line benefits, rather than displaces, existing residents.

She said she will advocate for the construction of four new schools in the district – a middle school, an elementary school and two high schools – to alleviate overcrowding.

Concerning the development of the Purple Line, Taveras said, “Yes, we’re building (it), but we also want to make sure the survival of the businesses and rent are stabilized around the Purple Line.

“I want to be able to really advocate for the community that I represent in terms of making sure that yes we have these projects, but we’re not trying to displace people, we’re trying to make sure that the district is a district for everybody, not just the newcomers that are coming in.”

Taveras said, although she believes she and her opponent have similar platforms focused on the transit-oriented development and providing good schools, what distinguishes her, in particular, is that she is “a known quantity.”

“I’m somebody who’s very present in the community because I’ve been somebody who’s extremely engaged in my district,” Taveras said.

HYATTSVILLE – Budget discussions have officially begun in Hyattsville and the first council work session on the matter already covered nearly $700,000 in additional funds for both capital and operating projects.

The first few in a long list of budget proposals came before the Hyattsville City Council Monday during its first budget work session. The council heavily discussed seven proposals before ending its meeting and moving discussion of the other six items on the agenda to a January work session.

“The goal for this evening’s meeting is to give all colleagues the opportunity to hear from those who have made proposals for the upcoming budget for (fiscal year) 2019, to answer any questions of each other, and to hopefully get a consensus on how we want to move forward on any or all of the items, or none,” Mayor Candace Hollingsworth said.

The proposals before the council included several capital improvements projects, initiatives based on public safety, and ideas to improve and expand social programs. Overall the council talked about more than $700,000 in additions to the previous year’s budget spread across the capital and operational budgets.

While they were not the first items discussed, the budget initiatives the council spent a large chunk of the meeting hashing out were feelings on two proposals that some on the council felt could be combined. Those budget requests were from Ward 5 Councilwoman Erica Spell and Hollingsworth.

Spell’s proposal included an ask of $25,000 and one full-time position to expand the Hyattsville Teen Program restarted by Hyattsville Police Sgt. Suzie Johnson over the past summer. The club was held three times a week during the summer at Magruder Park and once a week when school started.

“The idea was to provide a place for teens to go during the evenings during the summer when there was no school and there could be many things to get into,” Spell said. “This (proposal) really formalizes the program in a way. It builds on what is there, some the relationships that have already been established, some of the programs that have already taken place and will hopefully be continued.”

Hollingsworth’s proposal is for the city to invest $550,000 into a teen and young adult lounge at the University Town Center. The request is specifically to spend $350,000 to renovate a part of the town center, next to the temporary library site, and set aside around $200,000 for operational costs that include around 2.5 full-time equivalent positions.

“Several jurisdictions host teen lounges that serve as a safe space that allows teens to hang out, study and play in a supervised environment. This space would serve a similar purpose by not only having a more permanent home and consistent staffing to expand operations of the now re-established ‘Teen Club,’” a memo on the proposal reads.

A new teen longue would be open five days a week after school and would hold a variety of different space within, including places to study, play and even perform.

The city received a “verbal commitment” from the owner of the town center to use the 2,800 square feet of space at the cost of $9 per square foot for five years. Hollingsworth believes this route will give the city the opportunity to support the youth throughout the city in a variety of ways, and opens up the possibility of using multiple venues throughout the city for youth services.

Councilman Bart Lawrence agreed, saying he saw the mayor’s proposal as more comprehensive while others felt the proposals were not mutually exclusive.

However, while some on the council wanted to see the two proposals combined, Spell expressed hesitancy on the merger. Her concerns included the city seeking to renovate a private space when it already has public spaces it could utilize, and she felt moving the Teen Club to the University Town Center and taking it out of the hands of the city police would take away part of the appeal of the program.

Councilman Robert Croslin agreed.

“I think part of the draw for some of these teens to actually show up is the fact that it is at Magruder Park,” he said. “There are games and activities they can actually play outdoors there in a supervised setting, which would not be available at the UTC.”

But Hollingsworth pushed back saying her proposal would benefit more than just the teenagers interested in the outdoors and sports.

The council did not come to a consensus on the proposal and agreed for the discussion “to be continued” at a later date.

Other proposals before the council Monday included Councilman Edouard Haba’s request for safety improvements along Nicholson Street, on 31st Avenue, Lancer Drive and Madison Street. He asked for “appropriate funding” for stop signs and speed mitigation.

But while street safety and road improvements is something the council feels is a worthy budgetary cause, Councilwoman Shani Warner pointed out the city is in the middle of a citywide traffic study and suggested the council hold off on making budget requests for speed and road safety until the study is complete.

Public Works Director Lesley Riddle said she was unsure if tangible results from the study would be available in time for budget decisions, but City Administrator Tracey Nicholson assured the budget would have money set aside for actions based on the study’s results.

The proposal was moved forward.

In another proposal, the council also agreed to set aside $2,600 for a summer literacy program at two local elementary schools in case the county council denies their grant request. The organization has agreed to pay the city back for any amount funded by the county.

Haba’s other two proposals – one about a restroom facility at Heurich Park and the other for community event grants – were not accepted by the council, though further action is in the works for the park restroom.

“There is not an actual bathroom facility. What you have there is a portable toilet that is there and that is only on the backend,” he said. “We don’t have a clean bathroom facility where you can wash your hand with running water.”

Riddle said the public works department has worked on an estimate for the restroom and said it would cost about $70,000 for a pre-constructed facility and all the work required to install it.

However, the park is part of the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission system and is therefore county property. With that knowledge many on the council said they are hesitant to pay for a facility on county land and the council agreed to draft a letter to the county requesting funding for a facility.

Hollingsworth said, with seven months left until their budget is finalized, the city has time to wait for a response before deciding to add the facility request to the budget.

The last budget initiative proposal discussed at the meeting was the mayor’s idea for a Corridor Development Program, which would help the city support “projects that help market the corridor, improve the façade and/or recruit new business to the city.”

Hollingsworth said the initial idea, brought up during community meetings about the budget, called for $15, 000 for such a program, but she felt more funding was necessary and suggested $100,000.

The program would be a two-times-a-year grant program that would help fund community events with three or more businesses involved, help with lease costs for new businesses, fund business support services and fill the gaps of the city’s façade improvement program by helping business without large amount of capital make external improvements to their buildings.

“We have a number of vacant storefronts or we have businesses that seem to be unsupported in some way,” Hollingsworth said. “It honestly isn’t just for that business owner, because the business owners are conducting business as they are in the building as it is and they have customers in the building as it is. The façade improvement is about being a catalyst for other development along the corridor and other investments to be made.”

The program would be targeted at the city’s three main commercial corridors and targeted for minority and woman-owned businesses or new businesses to the city that offer services not currently available.

Council members said they were uncomfortable with the $100,000 proposal and the number was brought down to a compromise of $25,000.

HYATTSVILLE – Prince George’s Plaza in Hyattsville could be sporting a new name as soon as next spring, thanks to a months-long effort between the city and county governments.

Visitors to Hyattsville’s main shopping corridor could find themselves in a newly rebranded “Hyattsville Crossing” as soon as March, said Hyattsville Assistant City Administrator Jim Chandler.

Chandler gave a presentation on the so-far 16-month process of rebranding the area at the Nov. 20 Hyattsville City Council meeting.

“The past 16 months have involved a series of stakeholder workshops talking through Prince George’s Plaza – what it means in terms of experiences to its various owners, to those who represent Prince George’s Plaza, quite honestly to a lot folks that live here in the city of Hyattsville,” he said. “And really trying to dig a little deep in figuring out creatively how we distinguish this area and, quite honestly, celebrate this area.”

The rebranding process began last year when the county and city completed the work of creating a new vision for the area with the updated Prince George’s Plaza Transit District Development Plan. That plan laid out the hopes for the area, as well as wrote in some rules and regulations for future growth. The plan also recommended that a rebranding of the area be undertaken.

Now, after months of work, stakeholder work sessions, and countless meetings with owners of property in the Prince George’s Plaza area and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Chandler said the city feels comfortable moving forward with the new name.

“What we figured out real quickly is we have a name that can stand on its own, that needs very little explanation,” Chandler said. “The name will reveal itself. You know when you know.”

However, while knowing may be part of the equation, Councilman Thomas Wright noted that finding a new name was not a super easy process. Streetsense, the design and strategy firm hired to help the process along, was specifically tasked with helping create a unifying identity for the area.

Wright recalls there being nearly a dozen names put forward at the stakeholder meetings and the choices being overwhelming.

“There were 10, maybe a dozen, options to chose,” he said. “It was overwhelming from what I remember.”

Chandler said the current name, Prince George’s Plaza, focuses on just one development of area – The Mall at Prince George’s, which formerly held the plaza name – but now that the area is home to more development, he feels it deserves a better, more inclusive name.

“Prince George’s Plaza is not a name that excites people,” he said.

And people gravitated toward Hyattsville Crossing, or HVX.

“A huge portion of the group sided with that, so it wasn’t just something that was a fly by night thing. It really was given quite an effort,” Wright said.

Still, while Hyattsville said it feels content that there is “near unanimous consensus” on the name, District 2 County Councilwoman Deni Taveras said she thinks the city should consider including more voices, especially from consumers of the area’s retail.

“I have some reservations in regards to that because I think Prince George’s mall is a mall that is serviced by a lot of people. And, at the end of the day, its fruitful because a lot of people from outside of Hyattsville make it profitable and I think we need to recognize that,” she said. “And I think that that voice, those people from outside that make it profitable was not involved in this process.”

However, Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth said the process did include many stakeholders and voices and thanked Streetsense and city staff for the work they did on the project.

“Where we landed is a place that definitely had a lot of voices involved and the property owners as well. Especially the largest property owner there, to be pleased with the outcome, I think is a tremendous thing,” she said.

Looking forward, Chandler said The Mall at Prince George’s has ok’d the name while WMATA has said the name fits within its guidelines for additions to Metro line stop names.

Chandler said the city will work on new visual elements to kick-start the rebranding campaign and will bring them to the community in February and March to garner public opinion.

“At that point we’ll anticipate some limited roll out, which would include primarily public infrastructure – your benches, your garbage cans, some banner and things like that,” he said. “What we anticipate is, as you see investment continue along East-West Highway, along Belcrest Road, that the name Hyattsville Crossing will start to be incorporated into some of the infrastructure.”

HYATTSVILLE – The future developers of Hyattsville could have more options when it comes to creating community benefits if the city’s council decides to move forward with a new Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) policy or ordinance.

The topic, introduced by Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, was brought up during the discussion section of the Hyattsville City Council meeting on Oct. 2. She said she wanted to put the option before the council because she believes a CBA ordinance could be a useful tool for the city as it continues to grow and attract businesses and developers.

“The rationale behind it, for me, was twofold. One, to formalize, and in some ways require, participation when projects meet a certain threshold,” she said. “But also to give a little bit of clarity on the types of projects that could be funded through Community Benefit Agreements.”

A CBA is a tool used by cities, counties and states to negotiate how a developer will provide benefits to the community. Specifically, the agreement is a written document that details conditions a developer must meet, or should meet, to gain approval and support from a governmental body.

Benefits provided by developers in such cases typically address a need within the community or any anticipated issues the development could create. Examples of benefits provided signed by developers include public parks, apprenticeship programs, affordable housing, historic preservation of sites or buildings, local hiring quotas and funding for local art and culture.

Assistant City Administrator Jim Chandler noted, in a memo to the council written in 2015, that CBAs are a fairly recent tool utilized by cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle.

“The most prominent CBA was signed in 2001 and (is) known as the Los Angeles Staples Center agreement,” he wrote. “The CBA was negotiated by the city of Los Angeles along with three local community organizations and the developer. The CBA terms provided formalized community support for the arena, parking lots, a residential complex and 250,000 square feet of retail space in exchange for a variety of public investments including $1 million for public park improvements, $25,000 per year for five years for a residential parking permit program, and a set percentage of affordable housing within the newly constructed residential development.”

By creating an ordinance or a policy regarding CBAs, Hollingsworth said she hopes to create a clearer list of possible asks and a clearer line of communication of those desires when potential builders want to develop in Hyattsville.

However, Hollingsworth said the new policy would not require potential developers to take part in a CBA, but would leave it as an option if developers met certain criteria. Her proposed threshold for CBAs included multifamily developments with more than 120 units, developments that receive $200,000 or more in public benefits from the city, and projects seeking a density bonus in areas governed by a Prince George’s County Transit District Development Plan.

Councilman Thomas Wright said he was confused about the potential thresholds for the CBAs and if any developer would be forced to be a part of one. Councilman Joseph Solomon wanted to know how the community and stakeholder engagement part of the new legislation would work. He also had questions about the difference between a policy and ordinance in this case.

Hollingsworth said she hopes the city could work as a “convener of sorts” between the community and project developers.

“In my initial thoughts around this, the ordinance would provide a list of eligible entities. So those entities that could be considered partied to an agreement and that the city would act as a convener of sorts,” she said, explaining that a developer could reach out to the stakeholders based on the list and look at possible projects.

The mayor’s proposal also included potential “eligible public improvements” developers could sign on to if they met the CBA thresholds. Those projects include affordable housing units, age friendly units, providing education enrichment grants or any project consistent with the Hyattsville Community Sustainability Plan.

Councilwoman Erica Spell said she would also like to see public schools added to the list of potential public benefits, as well as projects or funds for child and youth development.

Overall, Hollingsworth said the legislation is still in the works and the thresholds or potential projects she listed should not be taken as the only limitations. She said she was open to adding more, saying the lists were not exhaustive.

Several members of the council thanked her brining CBA options before the council for discussion.

HYATTSVILLE – Working toilets and a woman’s locker room are just a part of what the brand new Hyattsville Department of Public Works building will hold when it is finally built.

Plans for the building are officially underway and starting to move forward as the city “symbolically” broke ground for the new building on Aug. 9 in a small ceremony. The building, when completed, will replace a pair of conjoined facilities, on the same property at 4633 Arundel Place, which the department has significantly outgrown, said department head Lesley Riddle.

“We’re growing exponentially as a city,” she said. “Our office is somewhat cramped. We can get stuff done. We have bathrooms that kind of don’t flush real well because we don’t have a full-sized waterline, because when this was constructed – this site has been here for 60 or 70 years.”

A new public works building has been on the city’s to-do list since 2009 and was made a priority during last few years. The last time the current building was renovated was 1970.

“This project is one that’s easy to go under the radar. It’s not as forward facing as the municipal building or the police department, but this facility is home to the people and the equipment that, quite literally, keep all of us running every single day,” said Mayor Candace Hollingsworth.

Hollingsworth said she is proud of the investment the city is making in the new public works building and Riddle said the support from the council has been “absolutely amazing.”

“It’s amazing that they’re willing to invest in us, which means a ton to me and my staff. Home will become better,” she said.

City Administrator Tracey Nicholson said the city will be ready to start building in September after all the paperwork and permits have been finalized. Surveying has already been completed.

The city is also actively looking for more grant opportunities to help offset the $3.3 million price tag. However, everyone at the ceremony agreed that the cost will be worth it to have adequate facilities.

“We ask a lot of the department of public works team and the residents expect a lot of them, quite frankly,” Nicholson said. “And so I think it’s important to give back to them, and part of the way we can show that we appreciate them is by at least giving them some conditions to work in that meet standards, let’s just say that.”

The new building will hold not only administrative offices for the department, which runs street maintenance and solid waste removal, takes care of the city’s parks and more, but it will also have four service bays for department mechanics to work on all city vehicles, including police cars. The new building will be a pre-constructed metal facility, built to LEED standards, and will have a stormwater management plan.

Another large reason the department is in need of a serious upgrade is the very nature of the department. During large snowstorms or weather events, the staff is on call and often sleeps in the building. The less than 6,000 square foot building has to accommodate a 30-person staff.

“A lot of times we live here, particularly during emergency. During the Snowzilla two years ago, we were here for eight days and everybody gets a little stinky,” Riddle said. “But we’re happy people and we love working here, so we get by.”

Since the new building will be pre-engineered, Riddle said the longest part of the project will simply be the permitting process and placing the foundation. Once the foundation is placed, the building will be up in running in a little more than three months.

Riddle, her staff and the city are all more than ready for the new facilities.

“The building has just really been through an awful lot and it is not conducive,” Nicholson said. “This has been a long time coming.

HYATTSVILLE – As Hyattsville housing prices rise and the city continues to catch eyes in the housing market, some on the city council hope to address rising rent and housing costs before lower-income residents are priced out of the area.

On Monday, the council took a first look at a few proposed changes and possible new ordinances penned by Councilman Joseph Solomon that could introduce some rent stability to Hyattsville in addition to some renter protections.

“Before you is a list of recommendations aimed at preserving the city’s affordable housing stock for new residents, but also for long term residents currently facing the problem of being priced out of the city they love,” Solomon said.

Solomon said the goals of his ordinances are to create rent stabilization, create a revenue stream for any potential loss in revenue due to the rent stabilization, and to define protections for renters in the city.

“The ordinance seeks to protect certain groups of people: seniors, military veterans, disabled individuals and college students who file with independent status,” he said.

Specifically, Solomon’s proposal would create “targeted rent stabilization” to residents who meet the criteria through an application process. Those criteria are broken into two lists of prerequisites that must be met to be deemed eligible, such as being over age 60, or being an independent college student taking six or more credits, and either having an income less than the median in Hyattsville or a rent that is more than 30 percent of their annual income.

The city would establish a “Hyattsville Rent Commission for Rent Stabilization Protection” that would then review the applications, and those awarded would receive an approved limit to rent increases set by the commission. Tenants could also be approved for rent increase exemptions. Both types of residents would have to reapply each year for the stabilization, however.

In addition, the proposal also includes a renter’s “bill of rights” and the steps to establish an affordable housing fund with monies collected from a proposed tax on short-term rentals.

Solomon said rent stabilization and the people it would help is a personal quest for him as it had a large impact on his own family.

“My mother was a mother of four children at the time, who hadn’t gotten through college all the way before she started her family and was an independent, single mother looking for any opportunity that she could use to help keep costs down in order to be able to raise a family,” he said. “And finding a rent stabilized home was something that helped her be able to afford living conditions for four children, while still trying to pay and work her way though school.”

While many councilmembers agree with Solomon that rent stabilization is something the city should begin to look into, a number of the elected officials pointed out concerns they have with the current iteration, which is a proposed draft.

A large concern is the “unintended consequences” that may accompany the proposals in Solomon’s bill, specifically if such a bill would discourage developers and landlords from building in the city.

Councilman Thomas Wright said there are elements of the proposal that give him anxiety, though he said he could get behind the general idea of affordable housing.

He said he didn’t know if rent control was the right, or the only way, to move forward.

“I think as it’s currently in place, I’m not sure that I would be able to support it, without some further analysis of how we can actually deal with or look at getting a better inventory of affordable housing without actually having to impose a rent control ordinance,” he said. “There’s other ways that we can achieve that.”

Wright said he would like to break the proposal apart from a full package to individual projects that could be looked at one by one. That was an idea others on the dais echoed, saying they could get behind a tenant bill of rights or other aspects of the proposal now while continuing discussion others.

Councilwoman Shani Warner was one of those who said she would like the council to “dip our toe into the water” and then build upon the program instead of jumping into a “huge program that’s going to cost a lot of money.” She is also specifically concerned with taxing short-term rentals like Airbnb, especially when she believes some residents use such side hustles to “make ends meet.”

“I’m not crazy about the whole short term rental and imposing a fee in part because I feel like I know a lot of people who are doing the whole Airbnb and the like and it seems like a lot of these people – its money that they desperately need,” she said. “They need to do this to be able to pay their mortgage.”

Warner pointed out other “red flags” for her, such as the workload the new commission would have to take on and how the city would find qualified residents to volunteer for the commission.

Mayor Candace Hollingsworth also had several questions about the overall cost of the program, how the city would be able to tax short-term rentals, and if the program would actually meet the goal of increasing the city’s affordable housing stock.

“It’s not settled enough for us to get to an agreement on and say ‘yeah, this is something we definitely want to see,’” she said.

Solomon was asked to go back and crunch more numbers before the council’s next meeting in September, when Hollingsworth said the council will discuss the proposal in more depth before asking city staff to make an analysis.

HYATTSVILLE – Closed meetings to elect council leadership may be a possibility as the Hyattsville City Council considers changes to the city charter regarding how the body elects its leadership.

On June 5, Mayor Candace Hollingsworth brought two discussion items before the council regarding how the council chooses its president and vice-president after, earlier in the meeting, newly-elected Council Vice-President Thomas Wright announced his resignation from that post.

Wright said that, although he received numerous accolades from his colleagues, after much thought he had decided to resign from the position due to being “stretched by day-to-day living” and being cognizant of his health.

“It’s often difficult for me to say no to a commitment, especially if it’s possible to be a positive influence on the outcome,” Wright said. “Nonetheless, after learning more about this role and what’s at stake, I recognize my own limitations and it’s clearly beyond my current capacity and fortitude to serve in this role at this time.”

Wright resigned just one meeting after being elected to the position, but said he chose to do so at this time because he felt it was better to do so now rather than later.

“It is in my mind better to do this now before getting further entrenched in the executive duties of this office,” he said.

Later that meeting Kevin Ward, a Ward 1 councilman, was elected vice-president after a 7-3 victory over Ward 2 Councilwoman Shani Warner. Warner had nominated herself for the role, saying she fully expected Ward to win, but wanted to express a desire to be part of council leadership.

“I think Kevin will do a terrific job. I fully expect him to win this and he has my full support. I think he has the qualities that I think are important,” she said.

This shakeup in council leadership put a spotlight on an issue Hollingsworth said she has noticed over the past several councils. She said the charter amendment change would address time constraints the council faces when electing its leadership.

Hollingsworth’s suggested revision would allow up to two meetings for the council to elect its leadership, meaning it would have until July to do so. As it stands currently, the council elects its leadership on the same day that the new members are sworn in.

One of the two newest members to the council, Ward 3’s Carrianna Suiter, said extra time would be a benefit, especially for new members.

“I think the addition of some time will be helpful,” she said. “It does put new members in a bit of an awkward position to get sworn in and then 15 minutes later vote for or against their new colleagues that we’re really trying to build relationships with.”

Hollingsworth said the charter amendment would determine “the when” regarding election of leaderships, but there may still need to be some changes to “the how.” While, she said, she’s not sure if qualifications of leadership need to be set in stone, she believes there should be a change to the process of nomination and, ultimately, election.

Those changes she proposed in the form of amendments of the Rules of Procedure regarding the selection of officers. The mayor suggested that the Maryland Open Meetings Act gives the city the ability to hold up to three closed meetings or work sessions regarding council leadership and that the council should do so.

“I was under the impression that one of the things we were trying to preserve by putting a process around this was also the appearance or illusion of cohesion and professionalism and decorum,” she said. “Using that as a guideline, I thought ‘okay how can we do this and still allow people the opportunity to say what they need to say?’”

The council debated the issue for almost an hour as several members questioned closing the meetings.

Warner opposed closing council leadership meetings to the public. Warner said she loved that the council is considering addressing this “nightmare,” but said she thinks the public process should be preserved. Two members of the public spoke out against the changes as well, especially against making the meetings closed.

Hollingsworth said there is no hurry to push forward with changes to the procedure, but said she would like to see this issued resolved and behind the council.

HYATTVILLE – It was seven years in the making, but the city of Hyattsville has finally made a decision on the future home of their police department, though the options before it were not ideal.

The city of Hyattsville is about to make a more than $10 million investment into the building at 3505 Hamilton Street after voting unanimously to move the police department there during their May 1 meeting.

The vote came after an April 26 discussion on the issue where City Administrator Tracey Nicholson and Assistant City Administrator Jim Chandler recommended the city move forward with the renovation of the old BB&T building on Hamilton Street.

“In six years I think this probably is the most consequential, aside from the budget, I think this is probably the highest value item that we’ve seen on the dais,” Mayor Candace Hollingsworth said.

The city staff briefed the council on the options ahead of them during a meeting in February where Chandler laid out a decision tree for the council members that essentially depended on the city choosing where to put its police department.

He said that due to budget constraints, the facilities plan for both the police and the city building would likely need to be done in two phases: first make a decision on the police department and act on it and then, with additional time, reevaluate the options for the municipal building renovation or relocation.

City staff anticipates having a briefing on city building options by late fall.

Currently, the Hyattsville City Police are housed in the city’s municipal building on the second floor, but city staff and Police Chief Douglas Holland have often commented that the space does not serve the purpose of a police station well.

In looking at options, Nicholson said the city could renovate the city building, move to a vacant county building that would need to be renovated at a cost to the city and then rented, or move the department to 3505 Hamilton Street, which was purchased in 2010 and is in need of repair.

Repairs for the building on Hamilton Street are estimated at more than $10 million, which is a much larger sum than the council expected. Renovations to the county building are estimated at $15 million, but would include space to move the municipal government seat as well – that price does not include the monthly rent, however.

“I think we all needed a moment to breathe after we saw the cost estimate,” Nicholson said.

While the council did vote unanimously to move forward with the renovation, it did not come without hesitations, as the price tag on the renovation is rather larger.

Councilwoman Shani Warner pondered if there were any more options the city could look at and if perhaps some of the possible options for the city building, including some possible joint venture opportunities with the University Town Center (UTC) could also be explored for the police department.

Chandler said the UTC would not be a viable option for the police.

“We’ve taken the time to really think about where else we could put the police department in light of costs that are significantly more than we initially predicted. I don’t see a viable option,” Warner said.

Warner said she doesn’t love the idea but sees it as the “least bad option.”

Councilman Thomas Wright also wanted to be sure this move is what the Hyattsville police want and that the building will serve their needs.

Holland said the building would likely be sufficient for close to 20 years, accounting for growth of services.

In addition, the fraternal order of police spoke during public comment at the May 1 meeting about what the move would mean to the officers.

“I cannot say enough how important this vote is for the healthy future of our police department and our city as a whole,” said Cpl. Zach Nemser. “I assure you this building is worth it.”

HYATTSVILLE – The bottom line on the proposed Hyattsville fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget just got a little larger after the city’s council voted to add even more items to the list of desires.

The council met on April 26 in a modified regular meeting that focused heavily on proposed expenditures in the city’s future. That discussion included the acceptance of a contract with Toole Design Group to conduct a city-wide traffic study at the cost of $250,000, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Maryland State Highway Administration for the city to contribute $145,000 to the MD500 road enhancement project and a discussion about the future of city facilities.

However, the items added to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year revolved around smaller projects and community-based events. In total, the additions amount to $7,000.

“These were items that weren’t submitted in time for the initial preparation of the budget, so we are doing an amendment at this moment to get them into the draft budget for FY18,” Mayor Candace Hollingsworth said.

The additions to the budget started with a request from Councilman Patrick Paschall for $1,000 in “city sponsorship and support” of the bi-annual Hy-Swap. The Hy-Swap is a one-day event held in the fall and the spring that allows families from Hyattsville to pick out and take home donated clothes and children’s items for free.

“This year’s event was a huge success,” Paschall said. “They served substantially more families than in years past, literally handed out thousands of pieces of clothing and toys and shoes and children’s gear and maternity clothing, for free to the public and I think this is a worthy cause.”

The councilman said the funds, which are reflective of discretionary funds the council has given to the events previously, would go toward helping keep the event going.

“It is still a loss to the organizers. They’re still paying out of pocket to be able to put the event on, but they’re able to supplement the city’s funding with donations at the door,” he said.

Councilman Robert Croslin asked if the city had used discretionary funds for the event before, which they had, but Paschall said he would like the event to be budgeted for, rather than making its funding dependent on discretionary funds being available.

Shani Warner, the Ward 3 councilwoman, agreed and said the Hy-Swap is a perfect example of a project initiated by residents that has gone on to be successful and reflect well on the city. However, she said the city should be cautious about how it hands out money for fear of every organization wanting similar support.

The $1,000 addition was unanimously approved and will designate the event as “city-sponsored.”

The second and third additions were at the request of Councilman Joseph Solomon and the city’s health and wellness committee. The committee, of which Solomon is the council liaison, made two requests for funds from the council that initially totaled $16,000. Those funds would cover the costs for a Hyattsville welcome packet for a lecture series on the health impacts of climate change.

“This initially came for discussion. There were a few items that the council asked the committee to take into consideration and they did,” Solomon said.

Though the ideas of both requests were received well by the council, the price tag of each was cause for debate. Paschall and Councilman Bart Lawrence both shared reservations about the quantity of packets proposed for printing and the fact that the proposal includes mailing one to each household in the city. That is 8,500 packets.

“I am concerned with 8,500 of them being printed and sent into homes, would end up with a majority, at the least, sort of thrown away,” Paschall said. “I’d like to vote for it, but I’d like to vote for it at a lower number with a lower distribution cost.”

Ultimately, the council agreed to a $5,000 budget for a beta launch of the welcome packet with the understanding that the health and wellness committee would take on the responsibility of creating and gathering the content and have a project plan in place before funds are released.

Members of the council also expressed concerns with the budgetary implications of the lecture series proposed by the committee. The ask was for $2,000, though it did not have an exact plan on how the funds would be spent or what speaker would be considered.

“I hate not to be enthusiastic about this but I think this does fall into the category I was describing before of being something that isn’t thought out to a point that I understand why we really should fund it,” Warner said. “I really appreciate the enthusiasm in the request for funding from this new committee but I feel that we have the cart before the horse.”

Solomon said the funds would cover three or four speakers and event-associated costs like advertising and food.

Besides the initial price tag, some on the council also noted that the environmental committee also requested funding for a lecture series on climate change. Councilman Edouard Haba said even though the health and wellness committee feels that the topics are different, they should still consider partnering with the other committee on the lectures.

In addition, Warner said she does not think there is enough interest to sustain large turnouts for both the environmental committee’s two or three climate change lectures and the three or four proposed by the wellness committee.

In the end, Solomon made an amendment to his proposal and asked for only $1,000 for one or two lectures with a promise that the heath committee would consider partnering on other events. That was passed.

HYATTSVILLE – No decisions will be made by the Hyattsville May 2 ballot referendum, but the city council is hoping to gain some insight on how residents feel about the size and composition of the council.

The council also got a taste of that feedback at a public hearing on April 17. The hearing was set specifically so residents could voice their opinions to the council on the “advisory” questions that will appear on the city’s election ballot.

Although only two residents spoke about the question, lively debate arose amongst the council on the logistics of a large council and the difficulties of planning meetings.

Mayor Candace Hollingsworth made the initial proposal of the ballot question and said she did so because she has seen and experienced difficulties associated with the size of the council, which stands at10 councilmembers and a mayor.

“The question of the size of the council, for me, honestly has very little to do with relationships and how well people get along with each other,” she said. “It’s more about, how can we best get work done?”

Hollingsworth specifically pointed to how having 10 councilmembers and a mayor put strain on the seven city employees in charge of fielding their requests.

The referendum resolution that will appear on the Hyattsville ballot is three questions, with the second question including four sub-questions about the preferred reduction.

Options under question two include reducing the number of councilmembers to one per ward, reducing the number of wards, doing both of those reductions, increasing the number of wards but having one councilmember per ward, or reducing the number of wards but keeping two councilmembers for each.

Councilwoman Shani Warner shared similar sentiments to the mayor, pointing out other issues, such as scheduling difficulties and time issues, that have arisen from having 11 people on the council.

“Since I’ve been on council, I’ve seen structurally the way how the size of our council fails us,” Warner said. “I know that I have unique perspective. Those of us on the dais have a perspective. It may be hard for us to convey that to the public, because what is useful for a councilmember is different from what residents may feel (is) in their best interest.”

Warner said the sheer size of the council is a “structural obstacle” and has led to factions, because the council does not “have to work together” to get legislation passed. She also said the council has a hard time putting together meetings on important decisions like department head hires.

On the other side of the issues, Nina Faye, a Hyattsville resident, said she would not want to see the council shrink.

“Our portion of Ward 3 has felt under-represented for a number of years and we feel that any reduction in council would lessen that,” she said. “And I feel very strongly, that to have adequate representation, it needs to remain as it is.”

Faye said to make the council smaller would be undemocratic, and some on the council agreed with her.

Councilman Thomas Wright said he does not believe efficiency should come at the cost of representation.

“We can be inefficient up here with, say, four of us, or we can be very efficient with, perhaps say, 14 of us. Efficiency can be maintained and controlled by perhaps effective leadership and civility,” Wright said, though he later said that was not directed at the current mayor.

Councilwoman Paula Perry and Councilman Robert Croslin expressed similar views. Perry said having two councilmembers has been an advantage for residents, especially if one of their representatives does not respond to queries or is hard to get ahold of. Croslin said a loss of members would also result in steeper learning curves for new councilmembers who would no longer have a seasoned partner.

However for Jim Menasian, who had previously asked the council for a strong debate on the issue, the timing of the debate is all wrong. He said he did not think the council provided enough time and detail for residents to make informed decisions when they take to the ballot box.

“It’s still too early for me to have an opinion and this (is) absolutely unheard of – me without an opinion,” he said. “How can I make an informed choice when I don’t know what’s up?”

Menasian pointed out that, in just three years, a new census will be taken and the city will have to analyze its population and possibly redistrict wards or even add wards. He wanted to know why decisions had to be made now when the size of the council could change with the census and the large number of housing developments going up across Hyattsville, including near the West Hyattsville Metro, on Route 1 and at the Kiplinger site.

“Don’t know yet, the people that will be in this city. Perhaps we will discover, down the road, that what we really need is an additional ward or two,” he said.

However, Hollingsworth said it was not her intention and Warner said it is unlikely that any action would be taken soon.

Still, Menasian said the residents of Hyattsville deserve more information on the issues before they vote.

“We still don’t know the facts. We don’t know the costs. We don’t know the benefits,” Menasian said. “Only after all of this can anybody make an informed choice.”